(Photography by Guru Khalsa)
SF VitalGuide Author Margaux Lushing Does Wellness in Style
22 September 2016
Juice Shop, Belga, and Avant-Barre are her answers to the above questions, respectively, but while we were lucky enough to plumb the secrets of Margaux's mind over Sightglass vanilla cold brews, San Franciscans are already scooping up the style maven's hard-won wellness tips. This past spring, Lushing, founder of Well + Away—a blog for health-conscious globetrotters—published the über-curated San Francisco VitalGuide, a slim-and-trim (and very pink) handbook with her picks for the best local workouts, boutiques, restaurants, bars (juice and otherwise), and more for wellness-minded urbanites.
The vegan and fitness-obsessed 32-year-old is a personal trainer (certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine) and avid traveler, known amongst her friends and readers for ferreting out the coolest places to eat right, exercise, and explore. She grew up in L.A. and lived in New York before landing in SF just four years ago, but already the SoMa dweller is an expert in the wellness offerings of our city (and others: Lushing's Los Angeles VitalGuide is due out in late 2016).
"I have files of places and itineraries that I've discovered and compiled over the years," says Lushing, who doesn't just make it her calling to "help people feel good and live a healthy lifestyle"—she walks the walk. Between working out (five days a week), juicing (her fiancé is head of UX at the much-hyped new brand Juicero), and traveling with said fiancé, Stephen, Lushing acts as a wellness consultant to brands including Hotel Zetta, where she's helping to refresh the minibars with healthier (but still "hangover-friendly") goodies.
So, does the fit and glowing Lushing ever cheat on her diet? She smiles broadly, "My favorite treat is Cathead's BBQ (in SoMa). They have this cornmeal-crusted tofu smothered in barbecue sauce—so, so good." (Chips and brownies? Not so much.)
Sweat Like Lushing
"I belong to Equinox and go to all the locations in the city. For yoga, I like Jason Crandell at Yoga Tree, and Lindsay Foreman and Buddy Macuha at Equinox. I also go to Rachael Brooke's spin class at SoulCycle in the Castro—the most beautiful location, in my opinion. And I take barre classes at Avant-Barre and SALT. And, although I don't get there as often as I like, I also love the team and workout at Barry's Bootcamp. Yes, I love my rest days, too."
Eat Right and Like It
"My go-to for an easy dinner is Shizen for vegan sushi, and my regular-people restaurant is Bar Tartine. The menu there is always changing and they have all sorts of interesting vegetable and grain dishes that are so flavorful. Delarosa also has awesome vegan pizza."
Get Gorgeous, Naturally
"Ayla, in Pac Heights, is my favorite place to purchase sustainable beauty products. I also love theBalm on Valencia—all the products are cruelty-free, and the women who do the brows are amazing. And for my hair, I finally found a salon I love, thanks to a friend of mine who's on the Warriors dance team: Kelli Eng, at Future Salon in Oakland—love her."
Work It Wear
"I am all about athleisure. You'll most often find me in a pair of cool leggings from ADAY or Outdoor Voices, an Everlane tee, and a denim jacket."
Go-To Boutiques
"My favorite store is Hero Shop. I'm also a big fan of Acrimony and No. 3, and Seldom Seen in Hayes Valley. And, yes, I shop 'Fitness Row' [the stretch of Union Street populated by Lululemon, Lorna Jane, Lucy Activewear, and Nike] when I make my way over to Cow Hollow."
Can't Live Without
"My Juicero, Vitamix, and all my supplements—I'm obsessed with Philosophie superfoods protein powders that contain all sorts of goodies in addition to vegan protein like maca, tocotreinols, spirulina, reishi mushrooms. And their coconut dream butters that blend the powders with coconut butter. I'm also obsessed with Sun Potion chlorella mixed in with water in the morning, a tip I learned from Charlie at Juice Shop. I also love Moon Juice Brain Dust and Beauty Dust mixed into smoothies."
Great Escape
"The new Meadowood Spa—one treatment feels like a weeklong vacation. The place is stunning and the therapists are so good. Beyond the Bay Area, Rancho La Puerta is a special, rustic wellness retreat; and anywhere in Tulum—it's an easy recharge with yoga, sun, and margaritas."